Counter display case



March 20, 1934. c, HARTER 1,951,695

COUNTER DISPLAY CASE Filed Sept. 6, 1932 61104123 H B U ,InI/en 1'0! Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNiTi') STARS ATENT GFFEE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in display cases for the display of merchandise, and particularly for the use of merchants in exhibiting goods and handling them from a position behind a counter; and its principal object is to provide improved means for displaying merchandise upon an ordinary counter by merchants, arranged the usual well known way, and at the same time to afford improved means for handling 11 and delivering goods on display more convenient- 1y than heretofore.

My invention consists mainly in the novel construction of a display case whereby the position of the goods on display may be shifted or selected 15 and delivered by the merchant from his usual position behind a counter by shifting the display case before the goods ar removed therefrom to a position more accessible, and then returning the display case to its normal position, as hereinafter set forth and stated in the appended claims.

Iviy invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawing which similar letters and figures of reference indicate like parts. Referring thereto, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved display case, showing in full and dotted lines the two positions of the case for the display of merchandise thereon, and shifting means employed. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the supporting mechanism with portions of the case removed to better show the operative parts and the angle of the bottom of the case intermediate its ends.

The case A, its legs or standards D D, pivotally secured to the underside of the case, guide rails C C, and end angle-bars B B constitute the frame work of the device. The shelves a a, are preferably stationed one above another on which the goods are placed for their display. Spaced from the lower end of the case at a distance therefrom about A; of its length a support and guide-bar b, is slidable on the guide rails C C,

by the sleeve 12, said bar I) being secured underneath the case by suitable bolts. At this crossbar the bottom of the case slopes longitudinally at an angle with the body of the case so as to parallel the guide rails when the case is elevated to the inclined position shown in Fig. 2, and abuts against the flange of the angle-bar B.

The standards I) D, are pivotally secured in suitable bearings 02, which are anchored at the ends of the guide-rails C C, to the angle-bar B,

at their lower ends, respectively, and at their upper ends, are pivotally secured to the underside of the case by a cross-bar c, bolted thereto. Said cross-bar terminates at its ends with an ear 0' adapted to engage therein the pivoted upper end of the adjacent standard D; moreover said crossbar is so located as to maintain said standards at an inwardly inclined position suflicient to automatically hold the case by gravity from falling backwardly when the case is elevated and its lower end abuts against the angle-bar B, as shown at E. The case is thus removably held in the upright position shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

The arrangement is such that articles of merchandise on the shelves a, are normally in ele-- vated position for better view of customers, and when the merchant desires to handle the same, he may readily withdraw the case from such position so as to lie fiatwise on the counter, as shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines.

By such withdrawal, the standards incline rearwardly to the flat position shown at D, (Fig. 1,) and the several shelves are inclined upwardly, as at a, so as to present the merchandise thereon within easy reach of the merchant in handling or delivering them. The rearward movement of the display case is thus accomplished by the side of the guide-bar I) along the guide-rails C, while the weight of the display case is partly balanced by its position at some distance from its lower terminus.

I am aware that display stands having stepped shelves, and upright posts at one end to support them at an inclined position, have been heretofore made; and that show cases have been made with an inclined false bottom movable into and out of the case by the swinging movement of its door, and such I do not claim.

The particular form of the several parts of my invention may, of course, be modified within the scope thereof, as I do not wish to be limited to more form, but what I claim is- 1. In a device of the character described, the combination comprising a display case having a plurality of shelves therein, and an angular bottom, and means for shifting said case longitudinally and vertically comprising a frame having transverse flanged end bars, a pair of guide rails connecting said bars, means for slidably securing case on said rails intermediate the ends thereof at the angle of said bottom, posts hinged to said frame and to said case, adapted to hold said case in elevated and inclined position temporarily; an abutment on the flanged transverse bar to limit longitudinal movement of the case on said guide rails in one direction, and means, including said hinged posts, to shift said case endwise to a flat position, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a counter display case. in combination slidingly mounted at its termini on said guide rods, an abutment to limit longitudinal movement thereon, and a pair of posts hinged to the opposite end of said case and to the adjacent angle-bar to support said end when the posts are swung beyond perpendicular and the angular bottom engages said abutment.

CHARLES E. HARTER. 

